Something For Christmas

[gcoover]

All,

Thought some of you might enjoy learning a few Christmas songs (from Christmas Concertina) so you can get ready for the big holiday season.

 

So, here's an easy version of Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and perhaps my favorite arrangement in the whole book - In the Bleak Midwinter.

 

The music includes the melody in regular musical notation along with button numbers for Anglo Concertina (Wheatstone/Lachenal accidentals). Also posted is an explanation of the tablature and numbering system.

 

And, you can hear videos of these arrangements at: https://www.youtube.com/user/angloconc(Christmas Concertina playlist).

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Gary

 

 

 

 

 

SilentNight-CHRISTMAS-CONCERTINA.pdf

HarkTheHeraldAngelsSing-CHRISTMAS-CONCERTINA.pdf

InTheBleakMidwinter-CHRISTMAS-CONCERTINA.pdf

Tablature-Example-CHRISTMAS-CONCERTINA.pdf

[RonnyB]

Thanks Gary I will have a go ,had a look at the book and may buy it looks good.

Ron

[Craftydab]

Thanks so much for this. As a very elderly learner I will gladly buy the book as I think that already knowing most of these tunes in my head will help in my playing of the notes and system. If it sounds right perhaps I am playing it right!

[gcoover]

Not sure why, but I see the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon doesn't show the entire Table of Contents for "Christmas Concertina", so FYI here's the complete listing of what's in the book. As you can see, it's many of the old traditional copyright-free favorites in the US and UK.

 

Single note melodies for all songs, so anyone with an English or Duet can play them if they are "paper trained", plus all have button numbers and directions to play them with full harmonies on Anglo Concertina.

 

On an entirely separate note, I'm not seeing any videos out there of concertina bands playing Christmas Music - why is that? Several years ago four of us on English concertina worked up some carols in four-part harmonies from an old hymnal and they sounded wonderful!

 

 

Gary

 

 

 

 

 

TOC-CHRISTMAS-CONCERTINA.pdf

[mathhag]

Thank you so much for these.

Right now I am trying to learn "Nancy" from the 1,2,3 book but can't find the tune I the internet. Does it exist somewhere? I really need to hear something before I can play it.

[gcoover]

Thank you so much for these.

Right now I am trying to learn "Nancy" from the 1,2,3 book but can't find the tune I the internet. Does it exist somewhere? I really need to hear something before I can play it.

If you search YouTube with the words "Nancy" and "Northumbrian" you'll find a few versions, including this rather fast one by the High Level Ranters: https://youtu.be/ZAVw6sYnVmo. It's also become popular with oldtime musicians here's a lovely version on banjo: https://youtu.be/gf307NwVTLM. And yes, I know I need to post a version on the Anglo, but we've moved to a place that has way too much outside traffic noise and no way to screen it out - very frustrating!

 

Gary

Edited November 9, 2017 by gcoover

[mathhag]

Thank you very much Gary. I will listen to those links and hope you find a quieter place to record.

[Wolf Molkentin]

I hadn't been aware of this song as yet.

 

The High Ranters' version seems to be unfortunately not available in Germany - however the banjo version is very likable and gets me a bit hooked on the song, will give it a try I guess.

 

Thanks for the hint!

[mathhag]

I hadn't been aware of this song as yet.

 

The High Ranters' version seems to be unfortunately not available in Germany - however the banjo version is very likable and gets me a bit hooked on the song, will give it a try I guess.

 

Thanks for the hint!

If you would be so kind to post a recording if you do

[Wolf Molkentin]

 

I hadn't been aware of this song as yet.

 

The High Ranters' version seems to be unfortunately not available in Germany - however the banjo version is very likable and gets me a bit hooked on the song, will give it a try I guess.

 

Thanks for the hint!

If you would be so kind to post a recording if you do

I will gladly do so as soon as I'll have sufficiently warmed up with my playing again...

 

=> here it is

Edited November 19, 2017 by blue eyed sailor

[Pete Dunk]

Here's a version of Nancy Clough played on English concertina. I can put the abc up if anyone is interested.

 

Nancy Clough

[Wolf Molkentin]

Just had my first 30 minutes with the tune, love it!! Will watch the video later.

 

Best wishes - Wolf

[Pete Dunk]

ABC

 

X:1
T:Nancy
C:Tom Clough
M:2/4
L:1/8
%%titlefont Helvetica 22
%%subtitlefont Helvetica 16
%%composerfont Helvetica 16
%%wordsfont Helvetica 16
%%partsfont Arial 20
%%partsbox
%%gchordfont Arial 16
%%barnumbers 1
Q:1/4=105
K:D
A|dD FA|df/e/ dA|d/c/d/e/ g/f/e/d/|ce AB/c/|dD FA|df/e/ dA|
Bg f/e/d/c/|d2d::f/g/|a>b ag/f/|g>a gf/e/|fe/d/ g/f/e/d/|ce AB/c/|
dD FA|df/e/ dA|Bg f/e/d/c/|d2d::[L:1/16]A2|dcBA GFED|
F2A2 d2A2|dcde gfed|cdec ABcA|dcBA GFED|F2A2 d2A2|
B2g2 fedc|d4d2::fg|aAaA bagf|gAgA agfe|fdfd gfed|
cdec ABcA|dcBA GFED|F2A2 d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4d2:|

[JimLucas]

Right now I am trying to learn "Nancy" from the 1,2,3 book but can't find the tune I the internet.

 

A beautiful tune, written by the late Tom Clough for his wife Nancy, if I have the story right. I learned it on the whistle -- from the Northumbrian Piper's Tunebook -- before I took up concertina. Two parts straight, followed by quicker variations (i.e., with more notes) on those same two parts, which variations I understand were also Tom's. I sometimes do it a third time through, with a few additional diddlies of my own.

 

There are plenty of versions on YouTube, in a variety of styles and many with at least a couple of notes different from the version in the NPT. Here's one version on fiddle that's pretty straight and more or less in the style I remember from Alistair Anderson's playing, though I think a tad slower. And here's a quicker take with Nancy Kerr -- someone who should know the tradition -- on fiddle. Nice, though I feel the guitar tends to overpower the fiddle in the quicker parts, making it hard to hear just what's happening in the melody.

 

What I believe I remember from Alistair's solo playing is a speed between the above two examples. On the other hand, aside from the version by the High Level Ranters, of which Alistair was a member, I remember him saying on one occasion that "in Northumberland, the dances start off at breakneck speed and accelerate from there."

[Don Taylor]

Gary (or any US member):

Can you still view this Youtube video: Alistair Anderson's version of Nancy?

https://youtu.be/ZAVw6sYnVmo

I ask because, like Wolf in Germany, I cannot view it in Canada. I have noticed recently that many Youtube videos featuring a Topic artist/album are also inaccessible - and there are lots that I would like to listen to.

If they are available in the US then I might have to get myself a US VPN.

Edited November 12, 2017 by Don Taylor

[gcoover]

Hi Don,

I know we're getting seriously off the "Christmas" topic, but I have no problem viewing the High Level Ranters here in the US, or any other of the Topic videos. You can't watch YouTube at all in China, but I was not aware of individual YouTube videos being restricted in other countries. Are you getting a message saying it's unavailable?

 

Gary

[Don Taylor]

Hi Don,

I know we're getting seriously off the "Christmas" topic, but I have no problem viewing the High Level Ranters here in the US, or any other of the Topic videos. You can't watch YouTube at all in China, but I was not aware of individual YouTube videos being restricted in other countries. Are you getting a message saying it's unavailable?

 

Gary

Yes, that is the message, and I guess that Wolf is seeing the same message too.

Apologies to folk for going off topic (Topic).

 

Don.

Edited November 12, 2017 by Don Taylor

[alex_holden]

Unavailable in the UK too.